XMobil: The Sound of a Falling Tree in a Silent Forest

Performed by: Simon Weckert and Vasyl Kuzmich

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? It certainly
does make a sound, because it produces vibrations in the air. The anthropic principle
said, “If there are no ears to hear, there will be no sound.” The observer (of how a tree
falls) can, by their very existence, influence the observed reality. Therefore, it is very
important to observe the world and ourselves; already, with our “pure” observation, we
change the world and fill it with sound and color.
Xmobil’s performance and presentation span from downright ambient music to edgy
sound art, applying machine-learning-generated visuals mapped to sound frequencies.
Xmobil aims to create an engaging and interactive environment, where the audience is
invited to become part of the Mobile Planetarium. The performance is mostly created in
real-time and/or improvised with hardware synthesizers, sequencers, and software. It
also involves interaction with the audience through GPS detection of phones (phones are
optional), GSM/3G/4G frequencies, wifi scanning, and spoofing. In addition, recorded or
live sounds from self-powered microphones in various natural locations broadcast the
sounds of what is “happening.” Remaining autonomous, yet on the move, with xMobil

CONTACTS:
sw@simonweckert.com
rocksuicider@gmail.com